Dental crown

Abstract

A construction applicable to dental crowns, facings, inlays, and the like including a stainless steel wire mesh (3) shaped to fit closely over a prepared tooth remnant (1), and being integrally bonded to a cavity (11) of a crown body (4) so as to form an integral crown (5) ready for use. The integral crown (5) can be adhered to the remnant (1) in a conventional manner, for instance by using dental filler. The body (4) and mesh (3) are very strongly joined by a mechanical interlock action by virtue of the mesh texture.

I claim: 
     
       1. A method of manufacturing a dental prothesis comprising the steps of: shaping a textured corrosion resistant flexible insert to a general cup shape so as to fit over an outer surface of a prepared tooth remnant;   forming a dental outer body shell of heat hardenable material which is partially fired, with an internal cavity and an external surface being of a tooth shape;   coating the insert with a porcelain paint and positioning the insert into the cavity; and   bonding the shell to the insert by further firing to complete the firing process of the body shell and bond the body shell to the insert.   
     
     
       2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein the insert is a mesh comprised of a woven tensile filament material. 
     
     
       3. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the filament is corrosion resistant metal. 
     
     
       4. A method as claimed in any one of the preceding claims wherein the insert is firstly shaped about a tooth remnant of a patient and removed therefrom before positioning it into the cavity of the tooth shell for subsequent firing. 
     
     
       5. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein the insert is firstly shaped about a casting of a tooth remnant of a patient and removed therefrom before positioning into the cavity of the shell body for subsequent firing. 
     
     
       6. A method of claim 1 wherein the heat hardenable material is porcelain. 
     
     
       7. A method as defined in claim 6 wherein a plurality of said shell bodies are produced at one location in a range of body sizes to provide a stock supply of body shells, a plurality of said inserts, or material from which said inserts is produced, is provided with said stock supply, and a suitable insert is selected, or formed, and bonded to a suitable shell body, at another location, to suit the requirements of a particular patient. 
     
     
       8. A method as defined in claim 1 wherein a plurality of said body shells are produced at one location in a range of body sizes to provide a stock supply of body shells, a plurality of said inserts is provided with said stock supply, and a suitable insert is selected, or formed, and bonded to a suitable body shell, at another location, to suit the requirements of a particular patient. 
     
     
       9. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the insert is firstly shaped about a casting of a tooth remnant of a patient and removed therefrom before positioning into the cavity of the shell body for subsequent firing.